Sealing device



D. R. LEWIS SEALING DEVICE Aug. l0, 1954 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 27, 1950 A m f W y III! ATTORNEY D. R. LEWIS SEALING DEVICE Aug. 10, 1954 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed'April 27, 195o Illl'll lllll l Il ll llllllll "Illll lllk IN VEN TOR. aag/sz?, e

Illlllllll Wzfs' ATTORNEY Aug. 10, 1954 D. R. L Ewls 2,686,068

SEALING DEVICE Filed April 27, 1950 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 6.3 T T i :zt 6.3!

l' -I i lll/ll//A 54 INVENTOR.

oag/SeW/S BY ATTORNEY Aug 10, 1954 D. R. I Ewls 2,686,068

SEALING DEVICE Filed April 27. 1950 5 Sheets-Shea?l 5 zz a6 6 /'Bi INVENTOR. augzsf e WzIS' /aaM-www/ ATTORNEY Patented Aug. 10, 1954 SEALING DEVICE Douglas R. Lewis, Summit, N. J., assignor, by

mesne assignments, to The Viscoseal Corporation, Union, N. J., a corporation of New Jersey Application April 27, 1950, Serial No. 158,370

1 Claim. 1

This invention relates to a device for sealing a rotor in an object, said device incorporating selfaligning features of construction designed to maintain a constant seal of the rotor in operation.

A further object of the invention is to provide a sealing device of novel structural features which enables the same to be readily applied to and removed from objects to be sealed and sources and apparatus for sealing.

These and other advantageous objects, which will appear from the drawings, and from the description hereinafter, are accomplished by the structure of my invention, of which an embodiment is illustrated in the drawings. It will be apparent, from a consideration of said drawings, and the following description, that the invention may be embodied in other forms suggested thereby, and such other forms, as set forth in the terms of the appended claims, are to be considered within the scope and purview of the instant invention.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional view, partly fragmentary, of a sealing device embodying my invention, shown applied to an object 21 to seal the shaft 23 therein, said view being taken on a line generally corresponding to that on which Fig. 2 is taken,

Fig. 2 is a perspective, partly fragmentary, view of the sealing device,

Fig. 3 is a plan view of one of the wall members comprising the housing of said device,

Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view thereof, taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 3,

Fig. 5 is a similar view thereof, taken on line 5-5 of Fig. 3,

Fig. 6 is a similar View thereof, taken on line B- of Fig. 3,

Fig. 7 is a cross-sectional View of the rotor forming part of the device of my invention,

Fig. 8 is a cross-sectional View of the stator ring forming part of the device of my invention, taken on line 8--8 of Fig. 9,

Fig. 9 is a plan view of said stator ring,

Fig. 10 is a cross-sectional view of a sealing ring used in connection with said device,

Fig. 11 is a cross-sectional view of the adapter Fig. 17 is a cross-sectional View of barrel member 34, taken on line l'I-l'l of Fig. 19,

Fig. 18 is a similar view, taken on line IS-IS of Fig. 19,

Fig. 19 is a plan view of barrel member 34,

Fig. 20 is a cross-sectional View thereof, taken on line 20-20 of Fig. 19, and

Fig. 21 is a cross-sectional View thereof, taken on line 21-2I of Fig. 19.

As shown in the drawings, the device of my invention is adapted to seal a rotor in an object; the latter, which is indicated fragmentarily in Fig. 1 and designated by reference numeral 21, may be any vessel or other object in which the rotor is to be sealed. rThe rotor may be any rotating part such as, for example, that designated by the reference numeral 26 in Fig. 1. It will be understood that the device is adapted to be secured to any article for the purpose of sealing a rotating member thereto. Accordingly, the term rotor as used herein shall be deemed to include any moving or rotating object, whether driven by rotating shaft or other source or means, and without regard to the specific method of securing the same to the source of power.

As shown in the drawings, the device of my invention comprises a housing secured to the object 21 by any convenient means, as, for example (Fig. 1), by bolt members 46 passing through the housing and engaging threaded recesses 41 in the object 21. The housing consists of a wall member 43 and a second wall member 44 which is substantially identical thereto; a description of one of the wall members will, therefore, suce for both. A barrel 34 is disposed between the wall members, the barrel having a medial opening 35 in which the rotor may be rotated. The wall members have registering medial openings 48, 48 (Fig. 2). Bolt or similar means 45 may be used to secure barrel 34 and `wall members 43 and 44, comprising the housing parts together. Sealing rings 53, 54 of complementary nesting cross-section and outline are positioned in the V-shaped recesses 52 of liners 59 which may be welded to the wall members so as to form, essentially, a part of said wall members in registry With the medial openings therein; identical stator rings 36 and 31 are positioned in the medial openings in the wall members for engagement with the seal rotor 25 and with the sealing rings.

The barrel 34 and stator rings are provided with complementary keying means to key the stator rings in the barrel, to enable the stator rings to slide toward one another in one plane, while keying them against movement at right angles to 3 said plane. As shown in Figs. 18 and 19, the barrel 34 is provided with keyways 28 to receive the keys 29 (Fig. 9) on stator rings 36 and 31. The stator rings are L-shaped in cross-section, having leg portions 38 and 39 (Fig. 1), presenting inner faces for engagement with the faces 65, 65 of seal rotor 25. Said stator rings are further provided'with .studs 40, 4B to receive the ends of springs r'42 'or `other tension means to urge said stator rings toward each other and into engagement with the faces of the rotor. The studs are received in the alternate keyways 28 of barrel 34 in the arrangement shown in Fig. 2. The spring or other tension means 42 :maylbe :otherwise-secured to the stators 36, 31, if :desired A linerV 50 (Figs. 1 and 12) is welded to the lwall member 43 or otherwise formed integral therewith or united thereto so as to define an internal heat exchange passage or chamber 58 in wall member 43. A corresponding arrangement is provided in the other wall-.member (44) to :provide the heat exchange passage or chamber'58' therein. Said passage .is fthus'asealed one except-at diametrically opposed points 60, 6G' (Figs. 3 and) Wherein1apertures 60,'30 open intosaid passage. Said apertures .are angularly inclined; `in 'the assembly of the device, they register withapertures'i, 6| in .the barrel v34 (Figs. l, 19 and 20) to provide a continuous passage betvveen the heat `exchange chambers :58, -58 fof the Wall members through the lbarrel 34. The :lower (liner) -end y50 of the Wall member A3 defines a ring portion provided with a lV-shaped recess 52 (Fig. l) to receive the \1'sea'ling rings 53, 54 `and adapter 55 Ypositioned against the sealing rings. A belleville spring Washer or the like .56 is lclamped .between the shoulderportions'? Yof barrel 34 and the adapter 55 (Figs. 2 and 11) =to hold the sealing rings therein. The barrel 3d is provided with a pair of 'diametrically opposed threaded apertures E2, 62' communicating with the apertures Sl, -il (Fig. 20) for connection with an externalsource of supply (not shown). Ey thisarrangement, a heat exchange medium, such as water, gas, oil, or the like, may be circulated-'through the charnbers 58, B of Wall members 513, llfi. vA second pair of threaded apertures 53, Y53 provided in the :barrel 34 (Fig. 19) pass completely through the barrel. By this arrangement, -an external source of uid may be'connected to the'devicefor communication with'the-opening 35 of the barrel wherein the seal rotor 25 rotates. .The barrel 3&3 at the open portion 35 thereof is provided (as above noted) with a plurality of spaced slits 28 for the'alternate -receptioniof .the vupstanding'ilreys 291011 the stator ring 33 Yand the :integralstuds-@ which 'receive the ends of the spring 42; thus, the stator rings are -urged into .constant contact with the faces $5,155 oftherotor under tension. By this arrangement, the stator rings may slide in .the barrel 35 Whilefmaintaininga vsealingcontact with the sealing .rings 53, `512 of the wall members 43, 4S.

`Gaskets 3l?, 3l (Fig. 1) may `be interposed between the barrel 34 and :Wall members, d.

rihe present invention Aprovides an vessentially one-,piece sealingdevice consisting .of :a: stationary ring .of il-shapedcross-section (43, 34 and All), dening an internal Abore or cavity 3.5 in which part ('25) =of the sealing device maybe rotated. The seal rotor 25 may, 4as shown -in.Fi g.,1,-be a flange cna sleeve which is adapted to be secured against the shoulder of the shaft (2E) "by theuser. The sealing-device just describedfmay .bgmanufaGtured, factory assembled and :shipped ias `a complete unit to be attached by the user as a unitary sealing device to shaft 26 or other object to be sealed in a pressure vessel 21 or the like, the device being secured to the pressure vessel by bolts or the like (116).

The object of the invention is to seal the rotating shaft to the pressure vessel. The Wall 65 of 'the yrotor :25 and the face of vleg portion 39 of stator ring 36 (Fig. 1) 'denne an interface 1B (Fig. 1). That portion of cavity 35 not occupied Alby rotating flange 25 is lled with a fluid or sealant, such as oil, having, among other characteristics, good sealability, selected for the requirements of the particular application involved, 'and may then be closed by plugs or the like threaded vinto one or more openings as, for example, vthe oppositely disposed threaded apertures 83, 63 (Fig. 19). By this arrangement, I have -found, in practice, that pressures in the vessel and cavity Will be automatically in equilibrium; thishas been indicated'by the use of gauges and other testing equipment. It iis 'vbelievedthat this end is attained, inthe use 'of my invention, as follows: A higher pressure in .the pressure vessel than in the cavity 35 causes a Very minute penetration of the `fluid Ain the pressure vessel across the interface 10, Iraising the pressure in the Ycavity 35 until there is :no pressure .drop across the interface 'iS-#that is,1until equilibrium of pressure in vessel 21 and cavity 35 lis attained. Probably a Ivery .slight axial separation of the stator 35 and flange 25 occurs to-permit'the very slight penetration across the vhigh'pressure interface 1e just referred to, such vpenetration .being only of .a very minute order. It was observed that .the time lag .for attainment of 4equilibrium of .the pressures in vessel 21 and cavity 35 was inversely proportional to the extent to which cavity 35 was completely filled with the sealant. If the pressure in vessel 21 falls below that in cavity .35, the net thrust of the stator ring against,

the rotor ring at interface 1B is always inthe direction which will hold the stator ring 'tightly against the rotor ring with a force directly proportional to the sealing fluid pressure. This result is obtained by proper proportioning of the effective area of slanting surface of leg 39 and the Ifareaof contactat interface 18. There isa full pressure drop across the interface '1G' defined by the Wall-$5 of the seal-rotor toward'the atmosphere or away from the vessel 21 and-.the .face-of leg :portion 3% of stator ringBil'. But since the sealant with which cavity 35 is filled initially seected'forits high scalability, there :is verylittle or practically no leakage .of sealant .due to the pressure drop at vinterface -19 This is best lustrated by the fact that the device without being mounted :on any shaftor .on any' pressure vessel may be pressurized "bylling thecavity .25 with asealingfluid'of :proper 'characteristicsrand pumping it up 4with a'small ihand pump through'ashut-oi valve. AAfter pressurizing, the valve 'may beclosed, the pump .disconnested, and the pressure, as ireadzona gageiconnected to the cavity, remains `unchanged until relieved by opening the valve. An :external source of iiuid may hezconnected to thethreaded aperturesf, t3' :for :connection with cavityf35 of the bai-rei at to .providefa .pressuregreater than that in the 'vessel 21. However, lthere'is considerable ipractical objection to zthe 'inse of `any 'device auxiliary .or :supplementary to -a sealing device. Such iauxiliary or supplementary ldevices, as heretofore iproposed fthe art, .have -been :quite complex.

The sealing device of the instant invention may have such auxiliary or supplementary devices connected thereto. However, it has proved highly effective without the use of such external pressure sources. By simply filling the portion of cavity 35 not occupied by rotating flange 25 with a sealant, such as oil, as above noted, the device thereafter automatically maintains equilibrium of pressure in the vessel 21 and cavity 35.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

In a device for sealing a anged member in the opening of a housing, said housinghaving a recess, a sealing ring positioned in said recess, a stator ring positioned in the opening of the housing, said stator ring having a face for engagement With the anged member, and a part for engagement with the sealing ring, a spring washer engaging the sealing ring and also engaging portions of the stator ring and housing, said housing having a shoulder, said stator ringI part comprising a slanting surface and a non-slanting surface dening a shoulder at their meeting points, said portions of the stator ring and housing engaged by the spring washer being the mentioned housing shoulder and shoulder of the stator ring part.

`References Cited in the iile of this patent y UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,927,543 Doyle Sept. 19, 1933 2,220,771 McHugh Nov. 5, 1940 2,233,599 Gilbert Mar. 4, 1941 2,265,953 Mortensen et al. Dec. 9, 1941 2,276,406 Magrum Mar. 17, 1942 2,321,871 Stevenson June 15, 194.3 2,470,419 Voytech May 17, 1949 2,531,079 Payne Nov. 21, 1950 2,555,492 Kidney June 5, 1951 2,567,809 Greiner Sept. 11, 1951 y FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 503,149 Great Britain of 1939 714,377 Great Britain of 1941 

